If Dhoni succeeds in Champions Trophy, he will go on till 2019 World Cup, says childhood coach

MS Dhoni’s childhood coach Keshav Banerjee feels that the Champions Trophy in England in June could decide the former India captain’s future in the game. He also went to reveal that Dhoni never kept anyone in the loop about his decision to quit Test cricket back in 2014 in Australia.

After stepping down from captaincy in the shorter formats this year, Dhoni has been playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 50-over National tournament, where has guided his state Jharkhand to the quarter-finals.

“At the moment, his sole focus is on the Champions Trophy. If he’s successful there, I think he would go on until the World Cup 2019," Banerjee, who persuaded Dhoni to take up cricket during his school days, was quoted as saying by PTI.

“It’s natural that with age, you would not hit the same strike rate. But his willpower and game-analysing sense are the two qualities that make him special. He’s out there playing domestic one-dayers (Vijay Hazare Trophy) to keep himself in shape ahead of the Champions Trophy,” Banerjee said at the launch of an under-14 cricket tournament in Kolkata.

Dhoni retired from the Test format in the middle of India’s tour to Australia.

“He never liked to be pushed so he called it quits before anyone could point fingers at him in the Tests format," Banerjee said. “He never kept anyone in the loop, even his best friend or parents did not know when he quit Tests.”

Dhoni was removed as skipper by his IPL franchise Rising Pune Supergiant. “It appeared to me a decision by the team owners as Dhoni did not have any choice now but to play this season (with Chennai Super Kings being suspended),” he said.

Having seen him grow a cricketer and as an individual, Banerjee feels that his strengths still remains the same. “He was known for his punctuality, discipline and he’s still the same, has not changed a bit."

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